Co-administration of Zingiber officinale Extract and Sodium Valproate Ameliorates Seizure Severity, Cognitive Deficit, and Neuronal Cell Loss in Pentylenetetrazole-kindled Mice

Preparations of Zingiber officinale are used in Nigerian folk medicine to manage colds, pain, arthritis, nausea, and epilepsy. The ameliorative effects of co-administering aqueous Zingiber officinale extract (GE) and sodium valproate (SDV) on pentylenetetrazole-kindled mice were evaluated regarding cognitive deficits, neuronal cell loss, and seizure severity. GFAP was also quantified. Male mice were pretreated with GE (50 mg/kg), SDV (100 and 200 mg/kg), and GE + SDV before kindling. After kindling, the mice underwent a learning performance test. The animals received a challenge dose of pentylenetetrazole one week after kindling. The brains were excised one day after the challenge test and were processed for GFAP immunohistochemistry and histopathology. GE alone did not affect PTZ-kindled seizures. However, treatment with GE and SDV significantly improved learning performance and protected against neuronal cell loss in pentylenetetrazole-kindled mice. The level of astrocyte activation was reduced in the kindled group pretreated with the extract. The results obtained suggested that co-administration of GE and a low dose of SDV significantly ameliorated learning deficits and protected against neuronal cell loss, astrogliosis, and neuroinflammation, suggesting that GE might be a beneficial co-medication in the management of epilepsy.